The present invention relates generally to pump/engine units, and particularly to a deployment system for a portable, trailer-mounted pump/engine unit. The system allows the pump/engine unit to be easily removed from a trailer and installed in a semi-permanent operating configuration.
Portable pump/engine units are used in a wide variety of applications. They are used in irrigation and construction applications, to de-water pits, to maintain areas subject to infiltration flooding in a dry condition, and to recover low-lying land otherwise suitable for farming. Portable pumps are also used in wastewater treatment applications to augment normal pumping facilities or to act as a bypass pump in the event of failure of the primary pumping system. The time, effort and expense of deploying a pump are especially important considerations in wastewater applications, which often require speedy deployment of pumps and frequent moving of pumps from one location to another.
Pump/engine units can weigh many tons, and thus are often mounted on trailers to achieve the desired portability. In many trailer-mounted designs, the pump/engine unit is permanently mounted to the trailer and may be operated while in its mounted configuration. In other designs, the pump/engine unit is removed from the trailer and placed on or close to the ground in a semi-permanent or permanent operating configuration. Depending on the pumping application, there are a number of advantages to removing a pump/engine unit from a trailer for non-mounted operation.
One significant advantage of removing a pump/engine unit from its trailer is that removal allows the pump to be operated closer to the ground or other supporting surface. Lowering the pump reduces the suction lift facing the pump in lift applications where the pump draws from a vessel or reservoir located below the level of the pump. A lower suction lift allows the pump to operate at higher volumes and efficiency and with less strain and wear on the pump and engine. In addition to reducing the suction lift, removing the pump/engine unit from a trailer and lowering it to the ground increases the stability of the pump/engine unit, as the pump skid can now be installed in a permanent configuration.
A further advantage of designs having removable pump/engine units is that they allow for increased flexibility in trailer design and in the deployment of the pump/engine units. For example, trailers not specifically adapted for use with pump/engine units may be used to transport and deploy the pump/engine unit. Also, a single trailer can be used to transport and deploy more than one pump, in either the same or different locations. Yet another advantage of removing a pump/engine unit from its trailer is increased protection against theft--a pump/engine unit placed on the ground is more difficult to move than a pump/engine unit mounted on a parked trailer.
In known pump deployment systems, the pump/engine unit is removed from a trailer using a crane, hoist or similar device that engages a hook provided on a top portion of the unit. Providing a crane at the location where the pump is to be deployed is inconvenient and increases the time and expense of placing the pump in its operating configuration. These problems are magnified in applications requiring frequent and/or speedy movement of pump units from one location to another. The inconvenience and increased time and expense of using a crane are particularly serious problems in emergency situations where quick deployment of a pump is critical, such as in the event of a failed primary pumping system in a wastewater treatment system.